Clyde start re-building for next season

Clyde Manager Jim Duffy has begun work on reshaping his squad for next season by announcing that 13 players, including former Scotland and Rangers player Charlie Miller are leaving the club. Goalkeeper Jordan Allan along with defenders Graham Girvan, Ally Park and Neil McGowan together with the midfield group of Ricky Waddell, Hadyn Cochrane, Connor Stevenson, Miller and Aleksandrs Gramovics as well as front-man Stuart Mills have all been released.

Centre-back Alan Lithgow has rejected an offer from the Bully Wee to extend his stay and loan players Bryn Halliwell and Jamie McCluskey have returned to Partick Thistle and St Mirren respectively.

On a more positive note shot-stopper JC Hutchison, full backs Iain Gray and Gavin Brown along with midfield player John Sweeney have agreed to stay and Pat Scullion, who has been on loan from Stenhousemuir, is expected to make his move a permanent switch.

Duffy’s squad will return to work on June 21 with the Cumbernauld manager saying, “The season starts on July 23 so to start preparing I am getting the bulk of the squad together early. It is important that we work on their fitness for the long season ahead. We will have a smaller squad so it's especially important that this foundation work is done.”

“Next year will be tough, it will be a smaller and younger squad so it will be up to Chic Charnley and me to nurture and develop the team and an early start will help that.”

The Clyde boss is finally looking forward to working on the training ground with his players as he explained, “We are looking forward to being on the training pitch as that is something we have not really been able to do since we came in during February. The constant diet of games restricted us greatly in what we could do each week. So it will be good to get quality time with the guys as we plan for the season ahead."

“During my time here the players have responded well, we became harder to beat but it is now all about preparing for the next campaign.”